International Journal of Cultic Studies ■ Vol. 10, 2019 1
Cultic Abuse Recovery: Counseling Considerations
By Rachel Oblak
In private practice in Vermont
Abstract
Recovering from cultic groups encompasses
many areas of healing and so can be a
complicated process. No single treatment has
been developed for working with cult survivors
therefore, clinicians need to be able to
synthesize their interventions from multiple
sources. This narrative synthesis review outlines
the key psychological components of cultic
abuse and recovery that counselors must take
into account when working with survivors of
totalistic, abusive, or controlling groups,
including practical needs, developmental goals,
emotional and relational issues, and trauma.
The author draws from both literature about
cults and survivors of cultic groups and from the
broader field of trauma, relational violence, and
displacement it highlights the subtle yet
important differences that may exist between
first-generation survivors and second-
generation survivors. She explores the potential
application and risks of treatment approaches
such as psychoeducation, EMDR, sandtray,
mindfulness, creativity, and somatic
interventions. Finally, she touches on important
ethical considerations related to power
dynamics and multicultural issues.
Keywords: cults, cultic groups, high demand
groups, abusive systems, counseling
competencies
There are a number of theories to explain how
cultic groups recruit, change, and control their
members (Hassan, 1990 Lalich &McLaren,
2018 Lifton, 1963 Singer, 2003) however, no
single theory encapsulates everything a survivor
needs for recovering and healing. Thus,
counselors often must be able to synthesize
appropriate interventions from a broad range of
approaches (DeYoung, 2009). Counselors need
to implement treatment with intention, using a
psychoeducational approach that takes into
account general knowledge about how cultic
groups affect people and also the specific needs
of individual clients, to incorporate a trauma-
informed approach for survivors who have been
traumatized. Although treatment often covers a
range of issues such as practical skills and
concerns developmental, relational, and
emotional processes and trauma, two
overarching goals for their clients can guide
clinicians in making informed choices about
what is likely to be most beneficial to survivors:
empowering autonomy and establishing
connection to the self (Hassan, 1990 Herman,
1997 Singer, 2003). In this article, I highlight
how counselors can pursue those goals as they
address some of the common recovery needs of
survivors, based on a narrative synthesis review
of the literature.
A comparison of how various theoretical
approaches define and describe cultic groups is
outside of the purview of this paper. However,
most cult theory references and is built on
Lifton’s (1963) eight criteria of thought reform
within totalistic environments. These criteria are
still frequently used to evaluate groups and help
survivors (Nunes &Timoner, 2007) readers
who wish to know more about cult theory are
encouraged to start with Lifton’s (1963) seminal
work. The International Cultic Studies
Association (ICSA) notes that within
professional circles cult often refers to groups
that use abusive or manipulative tactics (ICSA,
n.d.). For the purposes of this paper, cultic
groups are considered those groups that attempt
to control, manipulate, or abuse members in
ways that are likely to cause harm. Not every
person who exits a cultic group will have had the
same experiences, nor does every person who
experiences cultic abuse necessarily struggle
with posttraumatic stress or have the same
struggles in integrating and adapting to a
postcult life (Kendall, 2016 Lalich &McLaren,
2018 McKibbon, Lynn, &Malinoski, 2002).
Although this article focuses on the segment of
the population that is likely to have experienced
Cultic Abuse Recovery: Counseling Considerations
By Rachel Oblak
In private practice in Vermont
Abstract
Recovering from cultic groups encompasses
many areas of healing and so can be a
complicated process. No single treatment has
been developed for working with cult survivors
therefore, clinicians need to be able to
synthesize their interventions from multiple
sources. This narrative synthesis review outlines
the key psychological components of cultic
abuse and recovery that counselors must take
into account when working with survivors of
totalistic, abusive, or controlling groups,
including practical needs, developmental goals,
emotional and relational issues, and trauma.
The author draws from both literature about
cults and survivors of cultic groups and from the
broader field of trauma, relational violence, and
displacement it highlights the subtle yet
important differences that may exist between
first-generation survivors and second-
generation survivors. She explores the potential
application and risks of treatment approaches
such as psychoeducation, EMDR, sandtray,
mindfulness, creativity, and somatic
interventions. Finally, she touches on important
ethical considerations related to power
dynamics and multicultural issues.
Keywords: cults, cultic groups, high demand
groups, abusive systems, counseling
competencies
There are a number of theories to explain how
cultic groups recruit, change, and control their
members (Hassan, 1990 Lalich &McLaren,
2018 Lifton, 1963 Singer, 2003) however, no
single theory encapsulates everything a survivor
needs for recovering and healing. Thus,
counselors often must be able to synthesize
appropriate interventions from a broad range of
approaches (DeYoung, 2009). Counselors need
to implement treatment with intention, using a
psychoeducational approach that takes into
account general knowledge about how cultic
groups affect people and also the specific needs
of individual clients, to incorporate a trauma-
informed approach for survivors who have been
traumatized. Although treatment often covers a
range of issues such as practical skills and
concerns developmental, relational, and
emotional processes and trauma, two
overarching goals for their clients can guide
clinicians in making informed choices about
what is likely to be most beneficial to survivors:
empowering autonomy and establishing
connection to the self (Hassan, 1990 Herman,
1997 Singer, 2003). In this article, I highlight
how counselors can pursue those goals as they
address some of the common recovery needs of
survivors, based on a narrative synthesis review
of the literature.
A comparison of how various theoretical
approaches define and describe cultic groups is
outside of the purview of this paper. However,
most cult theory references and is built on
Lifton’s (1963) eight criteria of thought reform
within totalistic environments. These criteria are
still frequently used to evaluate groups and help
survivors (Nunes &Timoner, 2007) readers
who wish to know more about cult theory are
encouraged to start with Lifton’s (1963) seminal
work. The International Cultic Studies
Association (ICSA) notes that within
professional circles cult often refers to groups
that use abusive or manipulative tactics (ICSA,
n.d.). For the purposes of this paper, cultic
groups are considered those groups that attempt
to control, manipulate, or abuse members in
ways that are likely to cause harm. Not every
person who exits a cultic group will have had the
same experiences, nor does every person who
experiences cultic abuse necessarily struggle
with posttraumatic stress or have the same
struggles in integrating and adapting to a
postcult life (Kendall, 2016 Lalich &McLaren,
2018 McKibbon, Lynn, &Malinoski, 2002).
Although this article focuses on the segment of
the population that is likely to have experienced
